Lady Yester's Kirk was a congregation of the Church of Scotland. The building is located on Infirmary Street in Edinburgh, Scotland, and was formerly one of the foremost churches in the burgh. It is now used as the joinery workshop for the Estates Division of the University of Edinburgh.[1]
Founded with funds provided by Margaret Ker, Lady Yester (the wife of James Hay, 7th Lord Hay of Yester), the original building was completed in 1647. However, this structure was damaged by Oliver Cromwell's troops during their invasion of Scotland, and the building was eventually replaced by the current structure (built 1803-5), designed by William Sibbald,[2] which is a Category B listed building.[3] The current building lies slightly to the west of the original, which was built on the site of the former Blackfriar's Monastery (now the High School Yards).
Due to the depopulation of Edinburgh's Old Town in the early part of the 20th century, in 1938 the congregation merged with Greyfriars Kirk, in common with several other nearby churches. There is now the Lady Yester Chapel within Greyfriars Kirk, incorporating various artifacts from the former church building.
Lady Yester's was a prestigious appointment, and several notable figures have been the minister, including: